A bill passed by Nigeria’s federal parliament will more than double the minimum wage, with authorities warning against protests against the rising cost of living.
The monthly minimum wage will increase from 30,000 to 70,000 naira (about 39.60 euros) after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu agreed to the project.
The text of the project was quickly approved by the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
Parliament also reduced the duration of collective agreements in the African country’s public sector from five to three years.
The cost of living has increased dramatically
The cost of living has risen dramatically since Tinubu ended the costly fuel subsidy and loosened currency controls after taking office in May last year.
Inflation hit an all-time high of 34.19 percent in June, while food inflation hit 40.87 percent, according to official data from Nigeria’s national statistics office.
Unions accepted the government’s proposal to raise the minimum wage after months of deadlocked negotiations, even though it was much lower than they had demanded.
The new salary scale applies to federal public sector workers – civil servants, airport workers, teachers, etc.
The bill’s passage was announced amid calls on social media sites for citizens to take to the streets in August to protest Tinubu’s economic policies.
Africa’s most populous country has seen a series of strike actions in recent months.
Sources: APE-MPE, AFP